Festival of homiletics 2014 sermon
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- 1. the life you save may be your own
- 2. A global crisis in religious identity: -Religion as an
engine of violence ... - Strengthening us through hostility to the
other - Creating outsiders to fear, shun, exclude - Inhibiting
collaboration when we need it most
- 3. Religious hostility drives many moral people of peace from
religious affiliation altogether.
- 4. We develop hostile identities through stories.
- 5. We develop hostile identities through stories. Through
stories we can develop hospitable identities too.
- 6. We develop hostile identities through stories. Through
stories we can develop hospitable identities too. HOW ?
- 7. Jacob and Esau ... You know the story ... or do you?
- 8. The danger of a single episode ... ... in a larger, deeper
story.
- 9. 25:21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was
barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah
conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her; and she
said, If it is to be this way, why do I live? So she went to
inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, Two nations are
in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; one
shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the
younger.
- 10. If the story stopped here ... God predestines conflict and
domination: insiders/outsider - selected/rejected -
blessed/damned.
- 11. 24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were
twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a
hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. 26 Afterwards his brother
came out, with his hand gripping Esaus heel; so he was named
Jacob.* Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 When the
boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while
Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau,
because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
- 12. The stolen birthright ...
- 13. Isaac: Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed. 28 May God give you of the dew of
heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and
wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be
lord over your brothers, and may your mothers sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who
blesses you!
- 14. If the story stopped here ... God seems like a puppet
controlled by blind human words ... subject to human deception.
Blessing is exclusive ...
- 15. NOTE: The blessing in Genesis 12: I will bless you ... I
will make you a great nation ... All nations will be blessed
through you. Blessing is not exclusive, but instrumental. Not one
to the exclusion of others, but one for the blessing of
others.
- 16. 27:41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with
which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, The
days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my
brother Jacob. 42 But the words of her elder son Esau were told to
Rebekah; so she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to
him, Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill
you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; flee at once to my
brother Laban in Haran, 44 and stay with him for a while, until
your brothers fury turns away 45 until your brothers anger against
you turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I
will send, and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of
you in one day?
- 17. Jacobs journey ... departure and return, coming of age.
Rachel and Leah (cheater gets cheated, not one without the other)
Jacob and Laban (No mother around to pull strings....) Jacob ready
to return home (a man now, facing final challenge)
- 18. 32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to
your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred
men are with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed;
and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and
herds and camels, into two companies, 8 thinking, If Esau comes to
one company and destroys it, then the company that is left will
escape. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my
father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, Return to your country and to
your kindred, and I will do you good, 10 I am not worthy of the
least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you
have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this
Jordan; and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, please,
from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid
of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children.
12 Yet you have said, I will surely do you good, and make your
offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because
of their number.
- 19. 13Sohespentthatnightthere,andfromwhathehadwithhim
hetookapresentforhisbrotherEsau,14 twohundredfemale
goatsandtwentymalegoats,twohundredewesandtwenty rams,15
thirtymilchcamelsandtheircolts,fortycowsandten
bulls,twentyfemaledonkeysandtenmaledonkeys.16 Thesehe
deliveredintothehandofhisservants,eachdrovebyitself,
andsaidtohisservants,Passonaheadofme,andputaspace
betweendroveanddrove.17 Heinstructedtheforemost,When
Esaumybrothermeetsyou,andasksyou,Towhomdoyou
belong?Whereareyougoing?Andwhosearetheseaheadof you?18
thenyoushallsay,TheybelongtoyourservantJacob;
theyareapresentsenttomylordEsau;andmoreoverheis behindus.19
Helikewiseinstructedthesecondandthethird
andallwhofollowedthedroves,Youshallsaythesamething
toEsauwhenyoumeethim,20 andyoushallsay,Moreoveryour
servantJacobisbehindus.Forhethought,Imayappease
himwiththepresentthatgoesaheadofme,andafterwardsI
shallseehisface;perhapshewillacceptme.21 Sothepresent
passedonaheadofhim;andhehimselfspentthatnightinthe camp.
- 20. HowhasJacobchanged?
- 21. 32:22Thesamenighthegotupandtookhistwowives,histwo
maids,andhiselevenchildren,andcrossedthefordoftheJabbok. 23
Hetookthemandsentthemacrossthestream,andlikewise
everythingthathehad.24 Jacobwasleftalone;andamanwrestled
withhimuntildaybreak.25 Whenthemansawthathedidnot
prevailagainstJacob,hestruckhimonthehipsocket;andJacobs
hipwasputoutofjointashewrestledwithhim.26 Thenhesaid,Let
mego,forthedayisbreaking.ButJacobsaid,Iwillnotletyou
go,unlessyoublessme.27 Sohesaidtohim,Whatisyourname?
Andhesaid,Jacob.28 Thentheman* said,Youshallnolongerbe
calledJacob,butIsrael,* foryouhavestrivenwithGodandwith humans,*
andhaveprevailed.29 ThenJacobaskedhim,Pleasetell
meyourname.Buthesaid,Whyisitthatyouaskmyname?And
thereheblessedhim.30 SoJacobcalledtheplacePeniel,* saying,
ForIhaveseenGodfacetoface,andyetmylifeispreserved. 31
ThesunroseuponhimashepassedPenuel,limpingbecauseof hiship.32
ThereforetothisdaytheIsraelitesdonoteatthethigh
musclethatisonthehipsocket,becausehestruckJacobonthe
hipsocketatthethighmuscle.
- 22. 33 NowJacoblookedupandsawEsaucoming,andfourhundred
menwithhim.SohedividedthechildrenamongLeahand
Rachelandthetwomaids.2 Heputthemaidswiththeir
childreninfront,thenLeahwithherchildren,andRacheland
Josephlastofall.3 Hehimselfwentonaheadofthem,bowing
himselftothegroundseventimes,untilhecamenearhis brother.
4ButEsaurantomeethim,andembracedhim,andfellonhis
neckandkissedhim,andtheywept.5 WhenEsaulookedup
andsawthewomenandchildren,hesaid,Whoarethesewith
you?Jacobsaid,ThechildrenwhomGodhasgraciouslygiven yourservant.6
Thenthemaidsdrewnear,theyandtheir children,andboweddown;7
Leahlikewiseandherchildren
drewnearandboweddown;andfinallyJosephandRachel
drewnear,andtheyboweddown.8 Esausaid,Whatdoyou
meanbyallthiscompanythatImet?Jacobanswered,To
findfavourwithmylord.9 ButEsausaid,Ihaveenough,my
brother;keepwhatyouhaveforyourself.
- 23. Jacobsaid,No,please;ifIfind favourwithyou,thenacceptmy
presentfrommyhand;fortrulyto seeyourfaceislikeseeingthefaceof
Godsinceyouhavereceivedme withsuchfavour.11 Pleaseacceptmy
giftthatisbroughttoyou,because Godhasdealtgraciouslywithme,
andbecauseIhaveeverythingI want.Soheurgedhim,andhetook it.
- 24. WheredoyoufindGodrevealedin thisstory?
OnlywhereGodisovertlynamed?
- 25. WheredoyoufindGodrevealedin thisstory?
OnlywhereGodisovertlynamed? Orinthehumandevelopment
andthehumanencounter?
- 26. WheredoyoufindGodrevealedin thisstory?
OnlywhereGodisovertlynamed? Orinthehumandevelopment
andthehumanencounter? Andinthekindnessofthedisfavored,
theunchosen,theotherbrother?
- 27. Your salvation ... Your coming of age ... Your journey to
maturity ... Your liberation from self- destruction ... ...is
wrapped up with the other. When you show saving love to the other,
the life you save may be your own.
- 28. There was a man who had two sons ... PS
- 29. There was a man who had two sons ... PS Adam: Cain and Abel
Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael Isaac: Jacob and Esau ...
- 30. A global crisis in religious identity: -Religion as an
engine of violence ... - Strengthening us through hostility to the
other - Creating outsiders to fear, shun, exclude - Inhibiting
collaboration when we need it most
- 31. We develop hostile identities through stories.
- 32. We develop hostile identities through stories. Through
stories we can develop hospitable identities too.
- 33. Jacob and Esau ... Go tell good stories ... as agents of
Gods peace.